Gamecocks continue to improve once-struggling secondary
CLEMSON -- The South Carolina defense has a tendency to not let the big play bother them.
Just like in the Florida game on Nov. 13, in which the Gators returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown, the defense stood firm after Clemson scored on its first possession of the game.
Clemson made the Gamecocks looks awful on its first drive Saturday, a possession that ended with a 45-yard touchdown pass from Kyle Parker to DeAndre Hopkins. The drive was a quick one, lasting just a minute and 50 seconds.
“It was a busted coverage,” USC defensive tackle Travian Robertson said. “It was one of our mistakes that we gave to them. We just put that behind us because we knew that we had been in that position before. We just came back and knew we couldn’t let them score again.”
But they didn’t score again. The Tigers barely even scratched the red zone the rest of the night. After compiling 73 yards on their opening drive, the Tigers managed just 178 total yards the remainder of the contest.
“Things just didn’t go our way today,” Hopkins said. “We called plays and they just didn’t click. South Carolina didn’t really do anything different after that touchdown, but we just didn’t have guys step up to make plays.”
But there were guys on USC’s side that did step up and make plays.
Spur linebacker Antonio Allen made the momentum-altering interception of Parker in the third quarter that gave USC a 19 point lead. The interception was also pivotal in that it caused the benching of Clemson quarterback Kyle Parker on Senior Day.
“We’ve scored on defense for the last four or five weeks now,” assistant head coach for defense Ellis Johnson said. “That has helped us build a little confidence. At that time the game was starting to be in a little rut, and they were starting to run the ball on us. Antonio played it perfect.”
Unlike past years, USC has been able to get some scoring production out of the defense. They have six total defensive touchdowns this season, five of which have come by interception returns.
“Our defense was playing really well,” head coach Steve Spurrier said. “Antonio was in position. Sometimes he drops those, but he caught that one. All of our guys are catching them now.”
Having only given up 21 points the past two games, the USC defense is playing its best going into the most important game of the season in a rematch against Auburn.
“It’s always good to get a second chance,” Robertson said. “We just can’t give them anything. We just got to go out there and play sound football and try to finish.”